A series by November

Chapter 74: Fever

They returned to Westchester and Maggie ran to them as they deplaned. Logan swept her up into his arms and kissed her cheek.

“Hi Daddy.”

“Hey girl.” It never ceased to amaze him when she called him Daddy. Him, someone’s daddy. Impossible.

“You’re tan.”

“Am I? I missed you Blue.”

“I missed you too. We went to Six Flags and Ocean City and I got to hold Nate and Jeannie let me feed him and did you know babies throw up a lot? She said I could babysit him when I‘m older.”

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah. Hi Momma!”

“Hey there Bluebell! Boy did I miss you.” Marie stepped down from the Blackbird and took Maggie in her arms.

“Oof. Did you get heavier while we were gone?”

“I dunno.”

She gave Maggie a kiss. “You wanna see my tattoo?”

Both felt guilty for leaving Maggie at the mansion for a week so they spent the next few days with her. Maggie was going to start back to school at the mansion while Marie did her last year of college.

Marie returned to campus as Mrs. Marie Christensen. She battled with physics and hated it. She was getting tired of college and wanted to spend more time at the mansion. Logan was teaching the same three classes as well as serving on the A Team. They were all busy.

Maggie bloomed in her first year of school at Xavier’s. She was reading at a third grade level and as the school had expanded to take on students six through ten, she was in a small class. Judy Pileggi sent Billy to Xavier’s too. He was one of several new day students. They thrived in the small class and Maggie began to tackle science textbooks at a higher and higher level. Logan and Maggie were as happy as they had ever been, though Marie felt weary.

One night Logan woke to pre-dawn silence. Something was wrong. Marie was sleeping quietly next to him. The only sound was of the air circulating through the ventilation system. He sniffed.

Something was definitely wrong.

He threw his covers back. Marie mumbled and rolled over in her sleep. He walked into the living room in his pajama bottoms, slatted moonlight rippling over his chest.

He flicked the light on in Maggie’s room and she tossed restlessly. Her forehead was wet and blue curls clung to her skin. He put his hand on her forehead. She was burning up. She opened her eyes and quickly closed them, mumbling something about light.

“Marie?” He called out loudly. He couldn’t hide the fear in his voice. He scooped Maggie up from her bed, wrapping the duvet around her.

Marie stumbled into the room, blinking sleepily. “What’s wrong,” she whispered.

“Get Jeannie. She’s burning up.”

Marie walked over, brows held tight with worry, and touched Maggie’s forehead. The heat there was palpable.

“Hold on a minute. Hank might be on call.” She grabbed the cordless phone and dialed the med lab extension. As it rang she pulled a thermometer from the medicine cabinet, shook it down and popped into Maggie’s mouth. Holding Maggie’s limp weight in one arm, Logan went into the bathroom and wet a washcloth.

The outgoing voice mail extension said that Jean was indeed on call. Marie hung up and said “c’mon.” They walked barefoot down the hall to Jean’s room.

Logan raised his hand to knock but she said “Don’t. No need to wake Scott and Nate up.” ~Jeannie, we’ve got a medical situation. Wake up.~

Logan listened. There was no noise from within.

~Jean, are you in there?~

~Rogue?~

~Maggie’s sick. We need you.~

"She's coming," Rogue whispered. Logan heard rustling fabric and footsteps and the door opened. Jean stepped out in a gray sweatsuit and looked at Maggie. Marie pulled out the thermometer and held it up to the light in the hall. “it’s one o two point five.”

“Let’s get her down to the medlab.” Jean said groggily. They moved quickly to the elevators. Jean swiped her security key through and it took them to the lab.

“How long has she been like this?”

“I dunno. Logan said. “She was fine when we tucked her in. I woke up just now and could smell her fever.”

“Okay. Maggie, wake up honey. Open your eyes.”

Maggie’s eyes fluttered open, blue like her hair, then shut.

“Maggie, wake up sweetie. What’s my name?”

“Jeannie.” Maggie mumbled, and turned her head from the elevator lights.

“Good girl. Do you hurt anywhere?”

“Everywhere.”

The elevator doors opened and Jean quickly lead them to the lab. She turned on the light and motioned for Logan to lie her down on an exam table. He cradled her head until he could push the pillow under it, and in so doing he pushed her chin to her chest.

Maggie yelped. They all jumped.

“What’s wrong, Bluebell?”

“My neck hurts.” Maggie started to cry.

“Oh, hey, boo, we’re gonna make you better.” Marie cooed, tears in her eyes.

Jeannie took her temperature again, and took her pulse. While she did that Rogue took her blood pressure. She pumped up the cuff and listened. She could barely hear anything.

“Mags, stay quiet a minute, okay?”

“Her pressure is seventy over something - the beats are fading out.”

“She’s dehydrated. Pulse is 172.” The thermometer beeped. The red lights flashed 102.9.

Jean got a cooling pad from the refrigerator and wrapped Maggie in it. “Rogue, get her a Tylenol. The children’s kind, back of the top shelf.”

Maggie wiggled and drew a harsh breath. She slept.

“What’s wrong with her?” Logan asked. His fear was palpable. Jean found him distracting in PJ bottoms with a bare chest but she didn’t show it.

“I don’t know.” She took her stethoscope and pressed it to Maggie’s heart. “She needs some tests. Has she thrown up?”

“No,” Logan said. He would definitely know if she had.

“Good. Diarrhea?”

“Not that I know of.” Marie shook her head.

“Can’t you tell what’s wrong with her without doing tests?”

“No, Logan. We don’t do tests to get our jollies.” She knew that the medlab made him squirrelly and set off his PTSD but his lumping her in with the goons who tortured him for six years was downright insulting. “Maggie, take a deep breath.” She did.

“You want a urine dip?” Rogue asked.

Jean shook her head. “Another deep breath, sweetie. Again.” Pause. “Again.”

“You want me to get an IV kit?”

“No.” Jean coiled her stethoscope and put it down. “You need to take her to the hospital. Go to Montefiore Children’s.”

“You can't treat her here?” Logan asked.

“If I could I would.”

“Why the ER, Jeannie?” Rogue asked.

“I’ll be frank with you. Other than the fact that she’s burning up I don’t like the way her breathing sounds. Based on the soreness of her neck I suspect meningitis. She‘ll need labs, which they can do quicker, an IV which they can do better, and maybe a lumbar puncture.”

Rogue gasped and pressed her hand to her mouth.

“Let me check one more thing.” Jean slipped a pulse-ox monitor onto Maggie’s finger.

“Ninety eight. Good. You can take her in the car. But take her right now.”

“Will they treat her okay? Are they okay to mutants?” Logan looked ready to freak out.

“They’re required to by law. I’m gonna call them and tell them you’re coming.”

Marie couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to hurl. They quickly dressed, bundling up against the snowy night, and Logan sped to the ER.

Marie wanted to cry but forced herself not to. She kept imagining a doctor coming out to them, saying “I’m sorry, Maggie didn’t make it...” It was so real in her head. If only we hadn’t left her alone… If only.